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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. root — of a plant
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fall — the season
  13. game — wild animals
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. root — of a word
  17. game — a match
  18. mark — a grade
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fall — to drop
  21. shower — rain
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — a young animal

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