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: coach · season · bark · pit · stock · bank · scale · roll

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. roll — a list
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — of the year
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — in music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. roll — a cake
  19. season — in sport
  20. stock — shares
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pit — in a race
  24. coach — a trainer

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