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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — shares
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — for digging
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stock — goods
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — a measure
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stem — to come from
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. drill — the tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. drill — army training
  24. foot — 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