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 · bark · lash · march · rule · tube · temple · pitcher

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. march — the month
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — a container
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rule — a law
  11. stock — shares
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — the underground
  14. march — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. march — the month
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rule — government
  24. bark — to shout

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