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: cold · stock · pound · pit · board · ball · nail · wave

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pit — in a race
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stock — shares
  7. board — a committee
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stock — goods
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. ball — a dance
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cold — an illness
  24. board — to get on

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