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 116 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: bore · net · stock · march · staff · firm · fine · chair

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stock — goods
  3. staff — employees
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. net — in sport
  7. firm — steady
  8. march — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — shares
  15. net — for catching
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. firm — a company
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bore — to drill
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — decided

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