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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cue — a signal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spell — magic
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — low music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — to drill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. root — the cause
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — of a plant

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