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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. face — to confront
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. land — ground
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. land — to come down
  19. cell — a phone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cell — in biology
  22. root — of a word
  23. rule — government
  24. land — a country

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