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 · pound · sharp · lie · track · kid · trunk · craft

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. kid — child
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — goods
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stock — shares
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. track — to keep track
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — a path
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pound — a weight
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stock — a soup base

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