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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. suit — in cards
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. spring — of water
  10. root — of a word
  11. suit — to fit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stock — goods
  18. scale — size or range
  19. march — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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