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: fall · toast · racket · stock · court · track · sharp · current

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. current — happening now
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — the season
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — to keep track
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — of water
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. court — of law
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — a song
  24. fall — to drop

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