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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. present — the time now
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. present — there
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — a gift
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rash — a series
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spell — magic
  24. root — the cause

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