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: stem · stock · mug · coach · object · cap · spring · key

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stock — shares
  3. spring — of water
  4. mug — a face
  5. key — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spring — the season
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cap — of ice
  13. object — a thing
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — an aim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stock — goods
  22. mug — a cup
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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