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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — of a river
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — a group
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. club — for golf
  20. spring — of water
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — letters
  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