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 · racket · board · mark · bank · last · ball · drill

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a great time
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. last — final
  8. mark — a trace
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — finally
  14. stock — shares
  15. last — to go on
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a dance
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stock — a soup base

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