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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pop — soda
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stock — shares
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mine — for digging
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. sharp — clever
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. roll — a cake

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