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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — of a plant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — of water
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fall — the season
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — the cause
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mine — for digging
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. root — of a word

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