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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. object — an aim
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — to protest
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — shares
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — a thing
  24. swing — music

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