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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — after costs
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stock — shares
  10. craft — a skill
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — a stone
  19. net — in sport
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — for catching
  22. craft — boats
  23. row — a line
  24. root — the cause

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