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: leaves · swing · firm · bowl · trunk · stock · spell · pitcher

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. firm — a company
  2. swing — music
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. firm — steady
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stock — shares
  9. spell — a short time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. swing — to play on
  12. firm — decided
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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