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: can · clip · stock · stem · lash · cabinet · straw · spell

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. stock — goods
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spell — letters
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. clip — a video
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — to cut
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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