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: pit · trunk · rest · plane · wound · staff · lean · stock

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wound — an injury
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stock — goods
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — employees
  22. stock — shares
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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