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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spell — magic
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — obliged
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — the cause
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a word

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