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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bank — for money
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. net — after costs
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spring — of water
  9. face — to point toward
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. face — to confront
  22. root — the cause
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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