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: row · straw · root · rash · bank · clip · mate · spring

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spring — the season
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — the cause
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. row — a line
  8. spring — a coil
  9. root — of a word
  10. bank — of a river
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. clip — to cut
  13. spring — of water
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rash — a series
  19. mate — a partner
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — to breed

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