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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cap — of ice
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rock — a stone
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — in a road

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