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: straw · chair · stock · firm · coach · lie · pass · tube

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. stock — goods
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stock — shares
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tube — a container
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. firm — steady
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — a straw man
  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