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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — shares
  3. season — in sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. current — happening now
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — size or range
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — all right
  18. firm — a company
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — steady
  24. season — of the year

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