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: plane · trunk · dip · capital · toast · stock · field · mate

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. capital — money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. capital — a city
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mate — to breed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mate — a partner

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