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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — happening now
  3. root — of a word
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. capital — a city
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. current — of water
  16. capital — money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. spring — of water
  23. root — the cause
  24. current — electric

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