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: can · stock · board · clip · track · game · scale · charge

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — a committee
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. clip — a video
  7. stock — shares
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — a path
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. charge — a price
  12. stock — goods
  13. clip — to cut
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — electricity

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