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: lean · ruler · race · court · suit · trunk · stock · nail

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lean — thin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stock — goods
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. race — a contest
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. suit — in cards
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — clothes
  14. race — humankind
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — of a king
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lean — to rest against

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