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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · stock · band · key · mouse · net · root · current

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — in music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. band — a ring
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stock — goods
  12. band — a music group
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — in sport
  15. current — electric
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — for catching
  19. current — happening now
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — of a word

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