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: ball · cell · temple · press · stock · key · calf · track

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. key — in music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stock — shares
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — a path
  12. press — to push
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — newspapers
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. track — a song
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — in biology
  24. key — for a lock

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