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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stock — shares
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. degree — from a university
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wake — a trail

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