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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. stock — shares
  11. stem — to come from
  12. snap — to click
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stock — goods
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hand — part of the body

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