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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. current — happening now
  4. rule — a law
  5. drill — the tool
  6. current — electric
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. drill — a practice
  12. row — to paddle
  13. drill — army training
  14. cell — a phone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. cell — in biology
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — of water
  21. root — the cause
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. root — of a word
  24. fall — the season

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