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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. root — the cause
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — the fish

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