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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. object — to protest
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. root — the cause
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — a break
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. track — a song
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chair — a leader
  14. root — of a plant
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. toast — bread
  18. object — an aim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — a path
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bulb — 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