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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. root — the cause
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — of a word
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. present — the time now

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