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: bank · charge · stock · key · pop · wake · bat · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pop — soda
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. pop — to visit
  17. court — for sport
  18. bat — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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