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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — happy
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — a video
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. firm — decided
  9. rule — government
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — a law
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — a stick
  16. clip — for paper
  17. firm — a company
  18. content — the amount
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. root — the cause
  21. clip — to cut
  22. root — of a word
  23. firm — steady
  24. staff — employees

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