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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. band — a music group
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. perch — the fish
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. root — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. snap — to click

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