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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. capital — money
  3. kid — to tease
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. kid — child
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — shares
  21. current — of water
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. charge — electricity
  24. capital — a city

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