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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · stock · craft · hide · pitch · content

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — shares
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — the amount
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. content — happy
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stock — goods
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. craft — a skill
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — a soup base

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