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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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