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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — in sport
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. snap — to click
  10. mine — for digging
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pop — soda
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. season — of the year

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