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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spring — of water
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — shares
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — happy
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spring — a coil
  12. face — part of the head
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. charge — in control
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. face — to confront
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. content — the amount
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stock — goods

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