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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — to keep track
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — the cause
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. key — for a lock
  14. track — a song
  15. root — of a word
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. track — a path
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — the fruit

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