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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — of a word
  9. march — music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. march — the month
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. swing — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. march — the month
  24. root — of a plant

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