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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. swing — in golf
  3. club — a group
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. last — to go on
  7. club — for golf
  8. row — a line
  9. last — final
  10. root — the cause
  11. staff — employees
  12. last — finally
  13. root — of a word
  14. land — ground
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — to paddle
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — to come down
  22. swing — music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lie — an untruth

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