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 · press · firm · key · kid · stock · band · racket

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. press — to push
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — the most important part
  7. band — a ring
  8. press — a publisher
  9. key — for a lock
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kid — child
  13. press — newspapers
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kid — to tease
  17. firm — decided
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. firm — a company
  22. stock — goods
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitch — completely

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