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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. spring — of water
  11. chest — of your body
  12. present — a gift
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — the cause
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — a match
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — there

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