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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cue — for pool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. root — of a word
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stock — shares
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stock — goods
  10. wound — an injury
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. snap — to click
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. root — the cause

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