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 · kid · suit · ground · foot · degree · pitcher · current

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — a position
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. suit — in cards
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — electric
  18. foot — a measure
  19. current — happening now
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. degree — an amount
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stock — shares

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