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: cap · bear · bound · stock · tube · rash · toast · mate

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — certain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — tied together
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stock — shares
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mate — a friend
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. rash — hasty

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