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: row · season · object · rash · stock · trunk · nail · cue

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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 a car
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cue — a hint
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. object — to protest
  9. rash — hasty
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. object — a thing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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