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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mug — a face
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — shares
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rock — music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cell — in biology

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