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 116 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: pass · wake · stem · hand · stock · game · rush · tear

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. game — a match
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stock — shares
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hand — help
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — in cards
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rush — hurry

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