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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — of the year
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fine — all right
  16. root — of a word
  17. perch — the fish
  18. season — in sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. march — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. file — a document

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