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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mug — a face
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mug — a cup
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — the cause
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. net — in sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. net — for catching
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. net — after costs

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