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: cell · leaves · plane · content · cold · stand · racket · stock

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cold — not warm
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cell — in biology
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. leaves — of a tree

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