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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. content — happy
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. prune — to trim
  12. board — to get on
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. last — final
  15. stock — goods
  16. last — to go on
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — to come from
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. last — finally
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stock — shares
  24. pound — for dogs

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