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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stock — shares
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stem — to come from
  8. scale — in music
  9. stock — goods
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mine — for digging

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