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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. root — the cause
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. toast — bread
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bass — low music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. court — of a king

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