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 · mug · trunk · capital · fine · saw · leaves · chest

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. capital — a city
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — high quality
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mug — a face
  14. saw — the tool
  15. capital — money
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fine — all right
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a cup

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