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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. file — a line of people
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. face — to confront
  6. mark — a trace
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. file — a tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a word
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mark — a grade
  17. net — for catching
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. file — a document
  24. net — in sport

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