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: bass · bark · race · spell · jam · stem · bulb · stock

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bass — low music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stock — shares
  8. race — humankind
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — goods
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — magic
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. spell — letters
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. race — a contest
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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