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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spell — letters
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — bread
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — the cause
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stock — goods
  13. tube — the underground
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. spell — magic
  24. tube — in a tire

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