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 120 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: race · staff · mouse · sharp · can · court · pass · stock

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stock — goods
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. can — to be able to
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — for sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of a king
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. mouse — for a computer

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