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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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 — the cause
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mug — a face
  6. field — a subject
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pound — a weight
  12. field — for sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mug — a cup
  19. root — of a word
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rush — a thrill
  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