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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. row — a line
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rock — a stone
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. file — a document
  14. rock — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a line of people
  20. root — the cause
  21. file — a tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. safe — out of danger
  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