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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. root — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bank — for money
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — the cause
  13. drill — the tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pop — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. spell — magic
  24. bank — of a river

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