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: lean · perch · prune · stock · rock · track · date · cabinet

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — thin
  7. track — a song
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rock — music
  14. track — a path
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stock — goods
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — ministers

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