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 · staff · field · wave · dip · bank · pitch · chip

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bank — for money
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. stock — goods
  11. field — for sport
  12. bank — of a river
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chip — to eat
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitch — completely
  24. dip — to sink

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