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 116 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: hide · pitch · staff · stock · race · rock · firm · saw

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. race — a contest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stock — goods
  9. firm — a company
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. firm — decided
  13. staff — a stick
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. stock — shares
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rock — a stone
  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