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: perch · net · bay · pass · kid · trunk · content · stock

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. content — the amount
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. content — happy
  12. kid — child
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — for catching
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. net — after costs
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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