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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. root — of a word
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — to bear
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rock — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. season — of the year
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — there
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. net — in sport
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. root — the cause
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — a gift
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. net — for catching

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