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: rock · rash · cue · file · pop · wind · pitch · stock

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pop — music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rock — a stone
  16. file — a document
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — soda
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — music
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitch — completely

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