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 116 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. spring — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — the tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — to rob
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — soda
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pop — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. root — the cause
  24. spring — the season

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