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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — certain
  6. march — music
  7. net — for catching
  8. date — the fruit
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — hurry
  13. root — the cause
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — after costs
  21. bound — obliged
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. march — the month
  24. pop — to visit

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