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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. degree — temperature
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fall — the season
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. root — the cause
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a word
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fork — in a road

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