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 116 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: spring · stock · nail · pitch · land · content · mark · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — to come down
  3. spring — the season
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stock — goods
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. content — happy
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. land — ground
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitch — completely
  18. spring — of water
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — a coil

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