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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a document
  5. ground — crushed
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — a position
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. court — of law
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. court — for sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — the earth
  21. court — of a king
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a plant

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