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: stand · field · rash · pitcher · stock · lash · degree · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — a subject
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stock — shares
  6. degree — temperature
  7. field — farmland
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. field — for sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stock — goods
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rash — on the skin

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