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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spring — the season
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spring — a coil
  15. root — the cause
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — hurry
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — of water
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a ring

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