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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stock — shares
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — a contest
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chair — a leader
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. race — the arms race

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