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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. root — of a word
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. capital — money
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bore — to drill
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spring — the season
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — tied together

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