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: stock · bay · staff · march · rest · lie · bat · season

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. march — the month
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — music
  12. rest — a break
  13. staff — employees
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — of the year
  24. rest — what's left

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