ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stock — shares
  8. lean — to bend
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spell — letters
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — goods
  21. cold — not warm
  22. spell — magic
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cold — the Cold War

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com