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 120 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: arm · stock · pit · hide · tear · cold · rush · bay

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stock — shares
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cold — not warm
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pit — in a race
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — a horse colour

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