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: wind · perch · foot · rest · stem · object · race · stock

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — the fish
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — a thing
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — humankind
  9. stock — goods
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — shares
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wind — to turn a key

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