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: bark · mark · branch · pitcher · spell · cue · stock · bowl

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. cue — for pool
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stock — shares
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — letters
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — to shout

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