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 124 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — the season
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — to crush
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — a box
  11. cell — a phone
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. spring — a coil
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in biology
  17. root — of a word
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. root — of a plant

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