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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — to fit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. suit — clothes
  8. field — a subject
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — the cause
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. field — for sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. root — of a plant
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. prune — to trim

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