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: lie · fall · content · craft · stock · swing · pass · chair

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. content — the amount
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stock — shares
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — happy
  10. swing — to play on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — goods
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. swing — music
  24. pass — a permit

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