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: stock · bore · leaves · racket · chest · date · squash · tube

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — shares
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chest — a box
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — goods
  16. bore — to tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tube — a container

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