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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pit — a hole
  3. last — final
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. last — to go on
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. root — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. bark — to shout
  19. scale — in music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. root — of a word

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