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: bowl · stock · firm · bay · object · tear · rest · cell

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stock — goods
  3. firm — decided
  4. object — an aim
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. object — a thing
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stock — shares
  23. cell — a phone
  24. firm — steady

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