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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — to rob
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — a face
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spring — the season
  10. root — the cause
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. root — of a word
  18. ground — crushed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — shares
  24. calf — a young animal

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