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: hand · prune · stock · current · object · net · fall · hide

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — after costs
  5. hand — in cards
  6. current — electric
  7. net — for catching
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — a thing
  11. net — in sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. hand — help
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. object — to protest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. current — happening now
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. object — an aim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — of water

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