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 120 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: fork · stock · press · spell · rash · scale · racket · sharp

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — shares
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spell — letters
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — clever
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — goods
  15. rash — hasty
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. scale — in music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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