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: fan · bear · pound · mark · season · march · pitcher · root

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bear — the animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. march — music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — the cause
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — a weight

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