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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · wake · bark · spring · ball · bulb

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spring — the season
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — goods
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. spring — of water

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