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: kick · object · chest · present · hide · season · stock · rest

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. season — of the year
  3. chest — a box
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — there
  6. chest — of your body
  7. object — an aim
  8. kick — in football
  9. object — to protest
  10. season — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chest — of your body
  16. present — a gift
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — a thing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. present — the time now

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