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: firm · march · bear · bore · hide · stock · can · cold

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. firm — decided
  6. march — the month
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — steady
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. firm — a company
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — to tire
  24. march — music

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