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 120 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: trunk · stock · lash · rash · cap · snap · degree · lean

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. snap — to click
  6. cap — of ice
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cap — a lid
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. degree — an amount
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rash — a series
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — goods
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stock — shares

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