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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. object — a thing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. date — the fruit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. root — of a plant
  15. present — there
  16. root — of a word
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — a gift
  23. drill — a practice
  24. present — the time now

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