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: pit · cue · stock · bulb · racket · hide · deal · leaves

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a hole
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — shares
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cue — for pool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — in a race
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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