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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. court — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. root — of a plant
  5. court — of law
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rash — a series
  8. mate — a partner
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. root — the cause
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — hasty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. court — of a king
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mate — a friend
  24. prune — to trim

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