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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pound — a weight
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. root — the cause
  12. fine — all right
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. root — of a word
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ball — a great time
  22. row — a line
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — lets stay

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