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 120 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: wound · stock · rock · snap · trunk · current · bark · kick

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. current — of water
  4. kick — in football
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. current — happening now
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. snap — to click
  24. current — electric

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