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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ball — a great time
  6. root — of a word
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pop — music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. tear — to rip
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tear — from crying
  24. roll — on a roll

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