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 120 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: chest · stick · coach · stock · perch · rest · pitch · craft

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rest — a break
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — boats
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — shares

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