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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — to be able to
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — of water
  10. firm — a company
  11. season — of the year
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. root — the cause
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — a coil

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