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

Word bank: bulb · cabinet · foot · roll · file · wake · stock · coach

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. file — a document
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — a measure
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wake — a trail
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stock — goods
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. roll — a list
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — for light

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