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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stock — goods
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — the cause
  13. net — in sport
  14. drill — the tool
  15. land — ground
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — to come down
  20. root — of a word
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — a country
  23. drill — army training
  24. plane — in geometry

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