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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · present · cell · hide · coach · drill

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. 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. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stock — shares
  5. drill — army training
  6. present — a gift
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. present — there
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — a phone
  17. drill — the tool
  18. 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