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 · chair · fork · current · pitcher · mug · bank · net

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. net — for catching
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — after costs
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — happening now
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mug — a cup
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — of water
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chair — a leader
  23. current — electric
  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