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 · net · charge · pitch · bore · bay · cabinet · cell

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — a price
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. net — after costs
  6. cell — in biology
  7. net — for catching
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stock — goods
  10. net — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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