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: root · net · dip · fan · land · stock · foot · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a word
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stock — goods
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. net — after costs
  24. fan — a supporter

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