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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. face — part of the head
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a path
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. track — to keep track
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. face — to confront
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. face — to point toward
  13. root — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — the cause
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — of a tree

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