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: stock · dip · straw · root · perch · kid · cap · lash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to sink
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stock — shares
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. root — the cause
  11. kid — to tease
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cap — a hat
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. perch — the fish
  24. straw — dry grass

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