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

Word bank: stock · arm · degree · mine · root · charge · leaves · ruler

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — in control
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. root — of a plant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stock — goods
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. charge — a price
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. root — the cause
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. degree — temperature
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — electricity
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stock — shares

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