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: chair · ruler · fan · land · object · stock · pitch · track

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. object — to protest
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. land — a country
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — completely

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