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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. file — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stock — goods
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a document
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitch — completely

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