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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. key — in music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — of a word
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. sharp — clever
  17. land — ground
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — to come down
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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