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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — goods
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. land — to come down
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — ground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rash — hasty
  13. root — of a word
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. root — the cause
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — shares
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lash — to lash out

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