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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stock — shares
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ball — a great time
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stock — goods
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stand — to bear

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