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: stock · pitcher · bear · cell · bass · scale · stem · mine

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stock — goods
  9. scale — in music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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