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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. season — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rock — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stock — goods
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — shares
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rock — a stone
  24. prune — the fruit

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