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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. root — of a word
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. court — of law
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. race — a contest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — the arms race
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. race — humankind
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — to hurry

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