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: march · tear · roll · tube · dip · stock · root · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. march — the month
  3. tear — from crying
  4. root — the cause
  5. stock — shares
  6. tube — the underground
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. roll — a list
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — happy
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — to rip
  16. content — the amount
  17. march — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tear — from crying
  24. roll — a cake

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