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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. capital — money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cap — a hat
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. swing — in golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. capital — a city
  18. root — the cause
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cap — a lid
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cap — of ice

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