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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. content — the amount
  7. last — final
  8. content — happy
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — finally
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. staff — employees
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — of a word
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — clothes
  24. staff — a stick

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