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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. root — of a plant
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. shower — to wash
  7. board — a committee
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. last — to go on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. snap — to click
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. last — final
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. last — finally
  21. board — to get on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — rain
  24. root — of a word

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