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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — for paper
  3. toast — bread
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to click
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. clip — a video
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rush — hurry
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. march — music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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