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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — government
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stock — goods
  12. rule — a law
  13. root — of a word
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. fall — the season
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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