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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. root — of a word
  5. shower — rain
  6. drill — army training
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bound — certain
  12. drill — the tool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mug — a face
  24. bound — tied together

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