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 120 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 · rest · press · bark · race · tube · safe · lean

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — to push
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — humankind
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. race — a contest
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — the arms race
  14. tube — a container
  15. lean — thin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — a break
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stock — shares
  23. tube — the underground
  24. safe — a strongbox

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