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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stock — shares
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mug — a face
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — a cup
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stock — goods
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bark — to shout
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — a penalty

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