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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stock — goods
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rash — a series
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spell — letters
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bore — to drill

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