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: hand · net · stock · lie · spell · sharp · leaves · rest

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — in cards
  24. spell — magic

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