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 124 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rest — a break
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. snap — to click
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a word
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — hasty

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