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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. plane — a tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. march — the month
  11. shower — to wash
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a word
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. march — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. root — the cause
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. branch — a division
  23. shower — rain
  24. pass — to spend time

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