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: cell · stock · pitch · capital · key · mouse · chest · face

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitch — completely
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. key — in music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. face — to confront
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stock — goods
  22. cell — in biology
  23. capital — money
  24. mouse — the animal

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