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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. firm — a company
  3. ball — a great time
  4. root — the cause
  5. firm — decided
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — steady
  22. tear — to rip
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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