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 120 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: mine · stock · racket · bass · press · pitch · track · leaves

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — to push
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. mine — for digging
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — a path
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the fish

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