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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. march — music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. land — to come down
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — a country
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. root — of a word

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