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: key · hand · stock · cell · row · bay · pit · capital

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. row — to paddle
  3. capital — money
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stock — goods
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. row — a line
  15. capital — a city
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hand — help
  19. cell — in biology
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pit — a hole

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