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 · rush · track · leaves · root · chip · mine · pitch

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — goods
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — of a word
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — the cause
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — a song
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitch — a sports field

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