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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. track — a path
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — a committee
  8. cell — in biology
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — a song
  15. cell — a phone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — to get on
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. root — the cause
  21. capital — a city
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. season — in sport
  24. prune — to trim

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