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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a line
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rule — government
  10. degree — temperature
  11. season — of the year
  12. present — the time now
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mate — a friend
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. row — to paddle
  20. degree — from a university
  21. root — of a word
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. degree — an amount

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