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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bank — of a river
  4. band — a music group
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rest — a break
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rash — a series
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — the cause
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. band — a ring

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