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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. root — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — the cause
  10. perch — the fish
  11. deal — to handle
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — magic
  14. face — to point toward
  15. root — of a word
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cap — a lid
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — the season
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cap — a hat
  24. face — part of the head

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