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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitch — completely
  4. charge — a price
  5. stock — shares
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — in control
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — a series
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stock — goods
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fall — the season

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