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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spell — magic
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. root — the cause
  8. firm — a company
  9. root — of a word
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. land — ground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. land — a country
  24. firm — steady

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