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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mate — a partner
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mate — a friend
  24. foot — part of the body

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