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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pop — music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pop — soda
  11. hand — help
  12. root — the cause
  13. stock — shares
  14. hand — in cards
  15. root — of a word
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pop — to visit

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