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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. staff — employees
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. staff — a stick
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — a company
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — decided
  18. stock — goods
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — a city
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bass — the instrument

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