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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. root — of a word
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — music
  6. court — for sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — soda
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. court — of law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. court — of a king
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bore — to tire
  24. root — the cause

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