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 116 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: court · march · stem · club · stock · can · rest · current

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. club — for golf
  4. court — for sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. march — the month
  9. rest — a break
  10. stock — shares
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — the month
  17. stock — goods
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. current — of water
  24. march — music

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