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: mate · leaves · file · game · stock · stem · trunk · temple

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a document
  3. stock — shares
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mate — to breed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. file — a line of people
  14. game — wild animals
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stock — goods
  24. leaves — of a tree

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