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: press · fine · content · spring · wind · lash · stock · land

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — a coil
  5. content — happy
  6. spring — the season
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — a publisher
  11. land — a country
  12. wind — moving air
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — shares
  15. land — ground
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — of water
  18. content — the amount
  19. land — to come down
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stock — goods
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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