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: prune · stock · racket · lie · pound · trunk · calf · land

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. stock — goods
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. land — ground
  7. lie — to recline
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. land — to come down
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — an untruth
  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