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: temple · fall · stock · march · rock · lean · season · object

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — music
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. object — an aim
  6. fall — the season
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — thin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stock — goods
  13. lean — to bend
  14. march — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. march — the month
  22. season — in sport
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — a stone

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