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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a word
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. degree — from a university
  10. present — a gift
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. root — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — the time now
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. present — there
  24. fall — the season

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