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: pitcher · chair · saw · charge · mark · stock · mine · content

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — the amount
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mark — a trace
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stock — goods
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mark — a grade
  13. charge — a price
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — in control

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