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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — the cause
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. sharp — clever
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spring — the season
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pop — soda
  18. spring — of water
  19. pop — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spring — a coil
  24. root — of a word

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