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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. band — a ring
  7. root — of a word
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. toast — bread
  14. root — the cause
  15. mine — for digging
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. roll — a list
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mate — a friend
  24. roll — a cake

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