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 120 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: bank · stock · mine · pitcher · coach · trunk · pitch · ground

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — goods
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ground — a position
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. trunk — 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