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: straw · chip · press · patient · track · tube · stock · stem

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — to keep track
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stock — shares
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a song
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stock — goods
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — to eat

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