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: cap · wind · stand · rash · stock · kid · foot · can

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kid — child
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stock — goods
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rash — a series
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rash — hasty
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stock — shares
  21. cap — a lid
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stand — on your feet

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