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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. root — of a word
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — to visit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — music
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — to get on
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. root — the cause

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