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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. root — of a word
  4. press — to push
  5. root — the cause
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. chest — a box
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. press — newspapers
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — goods
  23. ground — a position
  24. nail — on a finger

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