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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. suit — clothes
  5. root — the cause
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — of the year
  9. court — of law
  10. deal — to handle
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. court — of a king
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wax — to grow
  24. trunk — of a tree

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