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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stock — goods
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a lid
  21. root — the cause
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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