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: bay · stem · stock · land · current · saw · field · degree

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. current — electric
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — shares
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stock — goods
  22. land — to come down
  23. degree — temperature
  24. land — a country

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