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: stock · last · roll · leaves · arm · craft · spring · ground

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stock — shares
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ground — the earth
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. roll — a cake
  11. craft — boats
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. craft — a skill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — a position
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — a coil
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — finally
  22. roll — a list
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spring — of water

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