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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ground — the earth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stock — goods
  10. roll — a cake
  11. hand — help
  12. object — to protest
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — shares
  18. ground — a position
  19. object — a thing
  20. roll — a list
  21. suit — to fit
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. suit — clothes
  24. object — an aim

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