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: band · nail · lash · trunk · fork · lie · stock · shower

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — shares
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. shower — rain
  24. stock — a soup base

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