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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — the cause
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — of a king
  9. sharp — clever
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — to get on
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. court — for sport
  21. deal — to handle
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. scale — in 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