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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. root — the cause
  9. snap — to click
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wind — moving air
  13. root — of a word
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. race — the arms race
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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