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 · wind · pass · staff · charge · rock · bulb · cold

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — a stick
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — employees
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — goods
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pass — to spend time

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