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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — to protest
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. object — an aim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. perch — the fish
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — for tennis

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