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 · chair · rush · game · safe · toast · racket · track

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. toast — bread
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — a leader
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — goods

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