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: stand · bat · tear · track · last · stock · foot · row

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a song
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. row — a line
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. track — a path
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — to paddle
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stock — goods
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bat — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. foot — part of the body

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