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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cell — a phone
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. root — of a word
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — the cause
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. root — of a plant

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