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 124 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wind — moving air
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. present — a gift
  10. row — to paddle
  11. swing — in golf
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — a line
  17. present — there
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. present — the time now
  21. face — to confront
  22. shower — rain
  23. wave — with your hand
  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