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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rock — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. root — the cause
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. game — a match
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. root — of a word
  13. pound — a weight
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spell — magic
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ball — a round shape

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