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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. scale — in music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — boats
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — shares
  24. craft — a skill

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