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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ground — crushed
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — the season
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stock — shares
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — of water
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. stock — goods

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