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: wound · kick · cap · stock · board · rock · track · pitcher

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. board — a committee
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cap — a hat
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — to get on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — a song
  16. kick — in football
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — of ice
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — goods
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — a lid

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