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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. root — the cause
  5. last — final
  6. root — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. plane — a tool
  9. last — finally
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. capital — money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. root — of a word
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — a city
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chair — a leader

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