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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spell — letters
  3. march — the month
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — a short time
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. track — a song
  15. ground — a position
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ground — the earth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to click
  24. track — to keep track

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