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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · leaves · dip · wind · tear · root

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stand — to bear
  8. root — of a word
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. root — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. root — the cause
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. leaves — lets stay

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