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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — of water
  8. track — a song
  9. stock — goods
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — shares
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chair — a leader
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chair — to sit on

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