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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. root — of a plant
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — a thing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. root — of a word
  22. fork — in a road
  23. root — the cause
  24. spring — a coil

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