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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. root — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. present — the time now
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a partner
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — a friend
  21. capital — a city
  22. stem — to come from
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — money

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