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: trunk · object · ground · hide · mate · pit · stock · stick

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — shares
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. object — an aim
  11. ground — the earth
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — goods
  21. ground — a position
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. object — to protest

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