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: face · spring · rash · fine · trunk · stock · band · charge

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rash — a series
  3. band — a music group
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — in control
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. face — to confront
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. charge — a price
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. band — a ring
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spring — the season
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. spring — of water
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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