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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — a line
  4. root — of a word
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kid — child
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. march — music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. march — the month
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — to paddle
  24. root — the cause

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