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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — a phone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — the cause
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — to come down
  10. cold — not warm
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — ground
  13. cold — an illness
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cue — a hint
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. land — a country
  24. cue — for pool

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