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: pound · stock · cap · kick · ball · charge · wake · field

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. field — farmland
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stock — goods
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — a price
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — shares
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cap — of ice

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