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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. plane — a tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. root — of a word
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — high quality
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fine — all right
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — a cake
  14. root — the cause
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. capital — money
  18. root — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. rash — a series
  24. fine — a penalty

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