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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — goods
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stock — shares
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. content — the amount
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — letters
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spell — magic
  23. perch — the fish
  24. track — a path

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