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

Word bank: rock · cue · stock · wind · stem · bound · deal · can

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cue — a hint
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — music
  8. stock — goods
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stock — shares
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stem — a stem cell

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