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: cabinet · stock · coach · mine · craft · wind · bulb · spell

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — boats
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — a short time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spell — letters
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — of a plant

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