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 116 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: cell · hand · stock · racket · cap · spring · lie · race

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spring — a coil
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. spring — of water
  6. race — humankind
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spring — the season
  11. hand — help
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — in cards
  17. race — a contest
  18. cell — a phone
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — goods
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cell — in biology

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