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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — of a word
  6. rest — a break
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fine — all right
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stand — for spectators

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