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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. race — humankind
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — a contest
  12. bound — certain
  13. root — of a word
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. root — the cause
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bound — tied together
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stock — goods

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