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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — the earth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a word
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ground — a position
  18. roll — a cake
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. file — a tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — the tool

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