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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. root — the cause
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a plant
  8. land — to come down
  9. game — a match
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a word
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — ground

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