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 · patient · pit · object · rock · root · bat · stock

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stock — shares
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. root — the cause
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. stock — goods
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. object — a thing

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