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: bark · spell · stem · chest · stock · present · season · lean

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spell — magic
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spell — a short time
  5. present — there
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — the time now
  8. stock — shares
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lean — thin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — in sport
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spell — letters
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stock — goods
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. present — a gift
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stem — of a plant

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