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: key · cell · cap · bank · stock · game · court · suit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — in music
  4. court — for sport
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. court — of law
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — a match
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — in biology
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cap — a lid
  22. court — of a king
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cap — a hat

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