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 · staff · cold · cell · land · dip · safe · object

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. object — a thing
  10. staff — employees
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. object — an aim
  13. land — to come down
  14. cell — a phone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — goods
  18. land — ground
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stock — shares
  22. cold — an illness
  23. dip — to sink
  24. object — to protest

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