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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the fish
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bass — low music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — a position
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rest — a break
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. plane — a tool
  23. roll — a list
  24. root — of a word

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