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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bass — low music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — a gift
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. root — of a word
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to bend
  16. present — the time now
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bass — the fish
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — there
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — with your hand

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