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 120 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: pit · object · wave · fan · bark · plane · bat · root

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. root — the cause
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. object — a thing
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. object — an aim
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fan — a supporter

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