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: hide · tube · root · stock · mine · game · bay · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. game — a match
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. shower — rain
  8. tube — a container
  9. mine — for digging
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — shares
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. tube — the underground
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — goods
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. root — the cause

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