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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stock — shares
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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