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: dip · game · court · club · stock · board · saw · capital

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. game — wild animals
  3. club — a group
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. court — of a king
  10. board — a committee
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — for sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. game — a match
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. court — of law
  22. board — to get on
  23. capital — a city
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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