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 120 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: key · stock · pitcher · pop · suit · mine · root · tear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — in music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — in cards
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — shares
  15. mine — for digging
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pop — music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. root — the cause
  23. stock — goods
  24. suit — to fit

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