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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — the earth
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — a list
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — the season
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. root — the cause
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — crushed
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. court — of law
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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