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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. root — of a plant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — the cause
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — all right
  16. mine — for digging
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a great time
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a round shape

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