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 120 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pop — soda
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — in sport
  8. pop — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. row — a line
  11. dip — to sink
  12. root — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. pop — to visit
  20. row — to paddle
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — a part of something

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