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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bark — to shout
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. pop — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. scale — size or range
  17. board — to get on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. stock — goods
  22. board — a committee
  23. pop — soda
  24. firm — a company

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