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 · chest · sharp · stock · root · bay · cold · temple

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stock — shares
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cold — an illness
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. root — the cause
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. root — of a word
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — a box

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