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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. season — in sport
  10. face — to confront
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — shares
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stock — goods
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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