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: pit · calf · stick · stock · cue · chair · cold · file

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chair — a leader
  10. file — a document
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — an illness
  24. chair — a professorship

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