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 · chip · stock · chair · mate · pop · coach · lie

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mate — a partner
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — the season
  9. stock — goods
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pop — soda
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mate — to breed

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