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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rest — a break
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — the season
  7. stock — goods
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spring — of water
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — shares
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a music group
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — of a plant

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