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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · chip · trunk · stem · bass · stock · snap · clip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stock — goods
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stock — shares
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. clip — for paper
  12. game — a match
  13. snap — to click
  14. clip — a video
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chip — to eat
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bass — low music

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