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: stock · season · chair · suit · file · squash · dip · court

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. court — for sport
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stock — goods
  7. season — of the year
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a document
  11. suit — in cards
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — to crush
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. season — in sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. file — a line of people
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. file — a tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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