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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stock — goods
  7. cue — for pool
  8. root — the cause
  9. cue — a hint
  10. clip — a video
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a word
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wind — to turn a key

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