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: cell · fall · season · current · pitch · bore · net · stock

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. season — in sport
  3. stock — shares
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — of water
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. current — happening now
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — electric
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fall — the season
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. season — of the year
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — gave birth

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