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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rock — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cell — in biology
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stock — goods

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