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

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — a series
  5. spring — of water
  6. root — of a word
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — a coil
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. degree — an amount
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spring — the season
  16. degree — temperature
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. root — the cause
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — of a plant

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