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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stock — shares
  10. band — a ring
  11. stock — goods
  12. band — a music group
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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