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: firm · stem · march · bowl · row · mark · can · content

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. firm — decided
  5. mark — a trace
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — a tin
  10. content — happy
  11. stem — to come from
  12. march — the month
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. row — a line
  17. march — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. firm — a company

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