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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cold — an illness
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. band — a ring
  16. stock — shares
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. root — of a word
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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