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: wake · ball · rock · clip · root · cue · bay · leaves

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — a signal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cue — a hint
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. root — the cause
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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