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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — of a word
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bound — certain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fall — the season
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a leader
  19. root — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — the cause
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cabinet — ministers

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