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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — hurry
  6. root — the cause
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. scale — in music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — to confront
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. capital — a city
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pit — a hole

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