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: bore · roll · season · march · stock · chip · cabinet · bat

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. march — music
  5. bat — the animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — the month
  12. roll — a cake
  13. season — of the year
  14. stock — shares
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stock — goods
  20. chip — for betting
  21. season — in sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bore — to drill

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