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: mark · saw · stem · rest · stock · wind · net · fan

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — for catching
  8. stock — shares
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — in sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stock — goods

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