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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tear — from crying
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — a division
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rule — a law
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wave — with your hand

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