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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — a line
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. root — of a plant
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cold — an illness
  22. can — a tin
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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