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

Word bank: stock · deal · pitcher · press · kick · wake · staff · tube

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — the underground
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. kick — in football
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tube — a container
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wake — a trail
  24. deal — to handle

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