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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. snap — to click
  8. object — a thing
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — shares
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — to trim

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