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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — of a word
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitch — completely
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — a gift
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. present — there
  17. root — the cause
  18. cell — a phone
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wake — a trail
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. present — the time now
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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