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: hand · stock · perch · bowl · cue · tear · can · trunk

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — the fish
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — goods
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tear — to rip
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cue — a hint
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tear — from crying

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