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 · fork · key · march · tear · scale · stock · bay

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stock — goods
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. scale — in music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. march — music
  14. key — in music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tear — to rip
  24. march — the month

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