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: stock · ground · present · court · scale · fine · dip · board

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. present — the time now
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — shares
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ground — a position
  8. court — of law
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — in music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fine — all right
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. present — there
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — high quality
  23. present — a gift
  24. fine — a penalty

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