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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — the cause
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bound — tied together
  10. root — of a word
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — magic
  15. board — to get on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — certain
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. spell — letters
  21. board — a committee
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — a stem cell

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