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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. last — to go on
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. last — finally
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bass — the fish
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. content — the amount
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. sharp — clever
  21. last — final
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. root — of a plant

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