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: bank · court · capital · stock · tube · branch · drill · suit

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — a division
  9. court — for sport
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. drill — a practice
  14. capital — money
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bank — of a river
  17. capital — a city
  18. drill — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. suit — to fit
  21. drill — army training
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stock — shares
  24. tube — the underground

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