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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. net — after costs
  3. stock — shares
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. present — there
  9. court — of law
  10. scale — in music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. net — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. scale — size or range
  24. net — for catching

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