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: trunk · mark · board · pound · stock · rest · face · wind

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rest — a break
  10. board — a committee
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to confront
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stock — goods
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wind — moving air

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