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: stock · leaves · race · toast · can · clip · bore · pit

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stock — goods
  9. clip — for paper
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. can — to be able to
  13. toast — bread
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. race — the arms race
  20. clip — a video
  21. stock — shares
  22. race — humankind
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. race — a contest

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