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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. spell — magic
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stock — shares
  8. spell — a short time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. press — to push
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for golf

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