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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. content — the amount
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. march — the month
  9. field — a subject
  10. roll — a list
  11. game — a match
  12. stock — shares
  13. field — farmland
  14. roll — a cake
  15. march — the month
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. march — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. field — for sport
  23. root — of a word
  24. content — happy

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