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: object · stock · temple · lash · mark · rule · cold · root

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. root — of a plant
  5. object — an aim
  6. cold — an illness
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. root — of a word
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — shares
  11. rule — government
  12. object — to protest
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — goods
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — a thing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cold — not warm

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