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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stock — goods
  11. net — in sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. pass — a permit
  14. charge — electricity
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. root — of a word
  18. charge — a price
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. craft — boats
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — a skill
  23. game — a match
  24. charge — in control

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