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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. content — happy
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — final
  9. club — for golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — finally
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. content — the amount
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. root — of a word
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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