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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — of law
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stock — shares
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. court — of a king
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — of a word
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. bat — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. court — for sport
  18. root — the cause
  19. suit — to fit
  20. clip — to cut
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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