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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stock — shares
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wind — moving air
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — goods
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. degree — temperature
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. prune — to trim

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