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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stock — shares
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. last — to go on
  9. firm — decided
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — final
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. firm — a company
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — for a computer

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