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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. root — of a word
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. file — a tool
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mug — to rob
  8. root — the cause
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — to get on
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — a face
  14. board — a committee
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. file — a line of people
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. file — a document

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