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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. root — the cause
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a word
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. row — a line
  9. last — final
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bark — to shout
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. key — the most important part
  15. last — finally
  16. key — in music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. clip — for paper

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