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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stock — shares
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chest — a box
  8. perch — the fish
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chest — of your body
  24. board — to get on

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