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: cap · pitch · spring · firm · track · lean · stock · scale

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — a path
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — a song
  23. scale — in music
  24. stock — goods

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