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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. root — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rash — hasty
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — a series
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mine — for digging
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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