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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. hand — help
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. land — to come down
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — the cause
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. mine — for digging
  19. shower — to wash
  20. root — of a word
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mine — an explosive

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