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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — shares
  3. kid — child
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stock — goods
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spell — magic
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — in music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kid — to tease
  22. root — of a word
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spell — a short time

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