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: stock · current · prune · craft · leaves · track · bear · deal

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. craft — a skill
  3. current — electric
  4. stock — goods
  5. current — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. craft — boats
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. track — a path
  24. prune — the fruit

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