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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. staff — a stick
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. staff — employees
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stock — shares
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — to breed

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