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: pit · stock · net · straw · track · march · chair · safe

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. march — the month
  5. stock — shares
  6. track — a song
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pit — in a race
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. net — after costs
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. net — in sport
  14. track — a path
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a hole
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. net — for catching
  20. march — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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