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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — letters
  10. root — of a word
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — the cause
  18. spring — of water
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spell — magic
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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