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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. object — to protest
  3. stock — shares
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. object — a thing
  13. key — in music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. object — an aim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitch — completely
  23. roll — a list
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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