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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. suit — in cards
  3. kid — child
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cold — an illness
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — not warm
  16. board — to get on
  17. root — of a word
  18. ball — a great time
  19. suit — to fit
  20. board — a committee
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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