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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. root — of a word
  6. branch — a division
  7. season — in sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — the cause
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — a loud noise

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