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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — ground
  9. current — electric
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a trace
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of law
  16. land — to come down
  17. current — of water
  18. land — a country
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitch — completely
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mark — a grade

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