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: ruler · mine · cap · prune · stem · stock · trunk · row

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cap — a lid
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cap — a hat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — a line
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. row — to paddle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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