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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. root — of a word
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — of water
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. drill — army training
  9. spring — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. scale — size or range
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — help
  16. root — the cause
  17. scale — in music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spring — a coil

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