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: craft · charge · pass · stock · capital · foot · file · mine

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — in control
  5. file — a document
  6. charge — a price
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — electricity
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — boats
  17. foot — a measure
  18. craft — a skill
  19. file — a line of people
  20. capital — money
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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