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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. present — there
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — to go on
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cold — not warm
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. last — finally
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. root — of a word

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