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: foot · pass · stock · lie · prune · cell · dip · spell

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stock — goods
  7. cell — in biology
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spell — magic
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spell — a short time
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lie — an untruth

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