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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. root — of a word
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spring — the season
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. root — the cause
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — of a plant

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