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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — a hole
  8. scale — in music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — of a river
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pit — in a race
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — to come from
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stem — of a plant

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