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: ball · cabinet · stock · spell · chip · stand · game · march

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. march — the month
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. march — the month
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ball — a dance
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. spell — letters
  23. game — a match
  24. stand — to bear

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