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: arm · bay · stock · chair · net · squash · stem · firm

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. firm — a company
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. net — in sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — decided
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. net — for catching
  22. stock — shares
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chair — a leader

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