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: perch · stock · march · face · stick · wound · deal · last

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. stock — goods
  6. march — the month
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. last — final
  16. perch — the fish
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — to confront
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — music

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