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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. content — the amount
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stock — shares
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — animal skin

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