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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. mine — for digging
  5. band — a ring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. root — the cause
  9. swing — in golf
  10. toast — bread
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a music group
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. swing — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — a friend
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. drill — a practice
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — of a word

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