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

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. kid — child
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — in sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — a law
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rule — government
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stock — goods
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  24. bulb — of a plant

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