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 · rest · trunk · ground · bulb · mine · wave · stock

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — crushed
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — rain
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — a break
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stock — goods

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