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: stem · present · rock · stock · fork · game · fall · mate

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — goods
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. game — a match
  5. stock — shares
  6. fork — in a road
  7. present — there
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — the time now

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