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: stock · pass · pitch · chest · safe · chair · ruler · fall

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fall — the season
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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