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: shower · pitcher · trunk · stock · jam · dip · craft · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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 — a jug
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stock — goods
  8. dip — to sink
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — boats
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  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