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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pop — to visit
  10. root — of a word
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. net — for catching
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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