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: fork · toast · staff · mark · game · face · wake · root

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. face — to confront
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — a trail
  20. root — of a plant
  21. toast — bread
  22. mark — a trace
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — wild animals

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