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 · row · mug · chair · cabinet · bark · rush · pitch

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. row — a line
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — goods
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mug — a cup
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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