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: row · file · perch · face · arm · bark · trunk · stock

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. face — to point toward
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. face — to confront
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — goods
  19. row — to paddle
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. row — a line
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bark — to shout

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