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: ruler · wound · stock · date · season · mouse · fan · stem

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. season — of the year
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stock — shares
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — in sport
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. date — the fruit

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