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: face · leaves · stock · stand · fall · wound · roll · foot

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. foot — a measure
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a list
  14. face — part of the head
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — to confront
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stock — goods
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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