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: cell · stock · lie · trunk · firm · saw · degree · staff

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — a phone
  11. firm — a company
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stock — shares
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cell — in biology
  22. firm — steady
  23. staff — a stick
  24. firm — decided

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