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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. root — of a word
  5. stock — goods
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — hurry

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