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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. spell — a short time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — a line
  14. rule — a law
  15. spell — magic
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rule — government
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. leaves — lets stay

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