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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — completely
  7. net — after costs
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. suit — clothes
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. track — a song
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. suit — to fit
  18. track — a path
  19. net — for catching
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. field — farmland

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