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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — in sport
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — happy
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. content — the amount
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — an aim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. roll — a list
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. roll — a cake

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