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: current · coach · capital · stock · hide · bark · craft · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — a skill
  9. current — happening now
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — electric
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stock — shares
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stock — goods
  23. current — of water
  24. bark — to shout

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