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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — shares
  8. current — electric
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — for money
  11. current — happening now
  12. bore — to drill
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — goods
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — humankind
  21. bank — of a river
  22. field — farmland
  23. current — of water
  24. stem — of a plant

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