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: object · bat · root · rush · stock · wound · hand · season

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — help
  6. root — of a plant
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — an aim
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. object — to protest
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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