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: snap · staff · fan · mark · stock · current · season · field

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — of water
  8. mark — a trace
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. current — electric
  11. field — farmland
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — a subject
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. field — for sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. staff — employees

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