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 · bay · bark · mug · chest · mouse · pitcher · kid

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — child
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chest — a box
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stock — shares
  24. chest — of your body

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