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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. capital — money
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. file — a line of people
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. rush — hurry
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rest — a break
  14. file — a document
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. root — the cause
  19. file — a tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. capital — a city
  23. branch — a division
  24. pound — a weight

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