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: track · spell · wound · ball · stock · mark · pitch · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — happening now
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stock — goods
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a path
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — a song
  12. stock — shares
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spell — magic
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitch — completely
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. current — of water
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stock — a soup base

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