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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. root — the cause
  6. fine — all right
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — ground
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rash — a series
  11. land — a country
  12. spell — magic
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. snap — to click
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — to come down

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