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: cue · ground · sharp · stock · hide · present · lean · fall

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lean — thin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. present — a gift
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ground — a position
  18. present — the time now
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — there
  21. fall — the season
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cue — for pool
  24. sharp — clever

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