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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — of the year
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lean — to bend
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — goods
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. root — of a word
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bank — for money

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