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 120 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. root — of a word
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — a price
  5. content — happy
  6. pass — a permit
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. root — the cause
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. charge — in control
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — the amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to spend time

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