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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — to play on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — the season
  11. root — of a word
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — in golf
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. root — of a plant
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rush — hurry
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. swing — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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