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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lean — thin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — to push
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stock — shares
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. game — a match
  15. face — to confront
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. content — happy
  20. game — wild animals
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. content — the amount

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