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

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. root — of a plant
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — money
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. capital — a city
  9. rock — music
  10. march — music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. present — the time now
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. present — there
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for golf
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — a big letter

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