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: wind · firm · cue · root · clip · patient · court · rock

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. firm — steady
  3. root — the cause
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — decided
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cue — a hint
  9. clip — to cut
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rock — a stone
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of a king
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — a company
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. clip — a video
  21. court — for sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — music
  24. cue — a signal

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