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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — the cause
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cue — for pool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to click
  16. root — of a word
  17. wake — a trail
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. face — to confront

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