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: bass · last · date · rush · bank · stock · trunk · chair

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — goods
  10. last — final
  11. chair — a leader
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — finally
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the fish

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