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: fall · rest · bore · stock · row · season · tube · club

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. club — for golf
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fall — the season
  6. stock — shares
  7. bore — to drill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — the underground
  11. row — a line
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — goods
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rest — a break
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. season — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — in a tire

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