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: bank · stem · rule · temple · swing · stock · court · patient

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rule — a law
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — goods
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. swing — to play on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. patient — a sick person

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