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: straw · fork · stock · pit · capital · suit · cabinet · press

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — a city
  4. press — to push
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — in a race
  19. press — newspapers
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pit — a hole
  24. suit — in cards

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