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 124 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. march — the month
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. rule — government
  9. season — of the year
  10. march — the month
  11. root — the cause
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — in sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. march — music
  21. rule — a law
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. land — a country

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