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

Word bank: root · mug · toast · can · lean · race · cold · leaves

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cold — an illness
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lean — thin
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. root — the cause
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. lean — to bend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. race — humankind
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cold — not warm
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — a contest
  24. can — a tin

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