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: dip · stock · kick · press · trunk · chair · perch · rush

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — goods
  4. press — a publisher
  5. perch — the fish
  6. kick — in football
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. chair — a leader
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. press — to push
  16. dip — to sink
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stock — shares
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rush — hurry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. press — newspapers

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