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: scale · stock · mug · cell · lie · saw · stick · land

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. scale — size or range
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — to come down
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. mug — to rob
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stock — goods
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mug — a face
  22. scale — in music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cell — in a prison

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