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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — shares
  7. spring — a coil
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fall — the season
  10. chest — a box
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. season — in sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — a face
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — of the year
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spring — the season
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — with an edge

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