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: cell · mate · march · bay · stock · hand · rash · lean

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cell — in biology
  4. march — music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cell — a phone
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — help
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stock — goods
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stock — shares
  22. lean — thin
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lean — to bend

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