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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — a position
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — crushed
  11. object — an aim
  12. race — a contest
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. race — humankind
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. object — a thing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — side of the head

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