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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. dip — to sink
  3. root — the cause
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mate — to breed
  12. spring — of water
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — of a word
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spring — the season
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. root — of a plant

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