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: pitch · stock · band · prune · plane · bound · race · craft

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. plane — a tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. race — a contest
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — shares
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. craft — boats

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