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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rule — a law
  4. root — of a word
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rule — government
  8. root — the cause
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. key — in music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bark — to shout

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