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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. drill — a practice
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stock — goods
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. shower — rain
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — of water
  19. drill — army training
  20. spring — the season
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spring — a coil
  24. shower — to wash

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