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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — of water
  4. drill — army training
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spring — a coil
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — the cause
  12. drill — the tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a line
  16. key — in music
  17. root — of a word
  18. row — to paddle
  19. root — of a plant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. key — the most important part

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