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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. land — ground
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. court — of law
  9. stem — to come from
  10. court — for sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stock — goods
  13. mate — a friend
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — electric
  19. land — to come down
  20. court — of a king
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. current — happening now
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — shares

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