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

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — goods
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — rain
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — shares
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — a committee
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. temple — side of the head
  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