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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. land — ground
  3. suit — clothes
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. file — a document
  7. squash — to crush
  8. root — of a word
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. file — a tool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. land — a country
  16. fine — all right
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for golf
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a line of people
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — a sick person

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