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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. root — of a word
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cold — an illness
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cold — not warm
  8. last — final
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. last — finally
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — all right
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ball — a great time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — the cause

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