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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — the cause
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a line
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. root — of a word
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stock — shares
  24. root — of a plant

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