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 · root · rash · club · racket · wind · roll · wound

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rash — hasty
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — a group
  7. roll — a list
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. root — of a word
  12. stock — goods
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wind — moving air
  15. roll — a cake
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for golf
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wound — an injury
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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