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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — goods
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. rest — a break
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stem — a stem cell

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