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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. root — of a word
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cold — an illness
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cue — a signal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — the cause
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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