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: fine · date · deal · mouse · hide · stock · cell · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — all right
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. date — the fruit
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stock — goods
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. date — on the calendar
  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