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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stock — goods
  5. cue — for pool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ground — crushed
  8. band — a music group
  9. cue — a signal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stock — shares
  15. suit — clothes
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cue — a hint
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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