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: wind · pop · game · root · stock · bowl · tear · suit

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tear — to rip
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. root — of a word
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stock — goods
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pop — music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. pop — to visit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. game — a match
  24. wind — moving air

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