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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — the most important part
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. key — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stock — goods
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. race — a contest
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — a partner
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pass — to succeed

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