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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — goods
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — soda
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — shares
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pop — music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fall — the season
  21. deal — to handle
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pop — to visit
  24. deal — a big deal

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