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: lean · bat · fan · stock · hide · clip · bank · fine

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. clip — a video
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. clip — to cut
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fine — all right
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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