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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. charge — electricity
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. key — for a lock
  17. charge — a price
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stock — goods
  21. bark — to shout
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — in control
  24. root — of a plant

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