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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — of ice
  3. club — a group
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. key — in music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stock — shares
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bat — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — in a race
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pit — a hole
  18. key — the most important part
  19. club — for golf
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cap — a lid

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