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: chest · stock · bulb · mug · tube · bark · prune · drill

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — goods
  4. chest — a box
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bark — to shout
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a face
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. drill — army training
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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