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 116 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: trunk · rash · track · present · perch · pitcher · wake · stock

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — a gift
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rash — a series
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. present — there
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — a path
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stock — shares
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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