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: charge · bowl · racket · chair · lie · stock · firm · net

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chair — a leader
  4. charge — a price
  5. firm — a company
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — decided
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — electricity
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — steady
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. net — after costs
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — a soup base

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