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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. root — of a word
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. suit — to fit
  7. object — an aim
  8. land — a country
  9. fall — the season
  10. root — of a plant
  11. suit — in cards
  12. object — to protest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — of the year
  15. root — the cause
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — moving air
  22. season — in sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — ministers

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