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 120 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: stock · chip · court · drill · game · branch · rash · stand

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stock — goods
  4. branch — a division
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — a match
  9. chip — to eat
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. drill — army training
  13. rash — a series
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stock — shares
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. court — of a king
  20. chip — for betting
  21. game — wild animals
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. court — for sport
  24. stand — to bear

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