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 · present · degree · net · suit · tear · stand · band

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. tear — to rip
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. degree — an amount
  10. present — there
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — the time now
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — clothes
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. suit — to fit
  19. present — a gift
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. degree — temperature

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