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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bear — the animal

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