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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. shower — rain
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. root — of a word
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. object — an aim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — a thing
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. swing — music

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