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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. spell — letters
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. tube — a container
  12. spell — a short time
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — the underground
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — the fish
  24. root — the cause

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