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: stick · trunk · capital · date · stock · pitcher · mouse · drill

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stock — shares
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a city
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — army training
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. capital — money
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. drill — a practice
  24. trunk — of a tree

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