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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. root — the cause
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. land — a country
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pop — soda
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pop — to visit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. root — of a word
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. land — ground
  22. season — of the year
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pop — music

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