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: net · roll · dip · chest · pitcher · mark · stock · tube

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chest — a box
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stock — shares
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tube — the underground
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — of your body
  15. net — for catching
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. roll — a list
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — a sauce

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