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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. root — of a plant
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kid — to tease
  6. shower — to wash
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stock — shares
  9. root — of a word
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitch — completely
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wound — an injury
  14. shower — rain
  15. wound — an injury
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kid — child
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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