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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — a break
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cell — in biology
  15. deal — to handle
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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