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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — shares

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