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: stick · stock · rash · mouse · pit · field · coach · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — for sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. pit — in a race
  23. field — a subject
  24. face — to point toward

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