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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. game — a match
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cue — a signal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stock — goods
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cue — for pool
  13. scale — in music
  14. pop — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. season — of the year
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitch — completely
  21. game — wild animals
  22. season — in sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — shares

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