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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — shares
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. bat — the animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — goods
  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