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 · wave · clip · deal · stock · bowl · ground · coach

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — shares
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stock — goods
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. clip — a video
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pit — in a race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ground — the earth
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ground — a position

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