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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — after costs
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — steady
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. firm — decided
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — help
  24. deal — to handle

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