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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mark — a trace
  21. root — the cause
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rash — a series

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