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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — shares
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stock — goods
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. march — music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — of ice
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — a hat
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mine — for digging

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