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 · fine · fall · chip · kick · tear · season · perch

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fine — all right
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. season — in sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stock — shares
  18. season — of the year
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kick — in football
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tear — from crying

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