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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — obliged
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mate — to breed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bound — tied together
  22. row — a line
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — a partner

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