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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. fork — in a road
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. toast — bread
  14. capital — a city
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — a hint
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cue — a signal
  20. capital — money
  21. root — the cause
  22. scale — in music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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