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: key · press · face · pitcher · land · charge · last · stock

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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 — in baseball
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. press — newspapers
  10. land — ground
  11. press — to push
  12. charge — electricity
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — final
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — for a lock
  23. face — to point toward
  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