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: season · fall · snap · stick · stock · can · track · pitch

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to click
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitch — completely
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stock — goods
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — the season
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stock — shares

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