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: snap · fork · patient · ball · track · root · leaves · spell

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a great time
  6. track — a path
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — magic
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — of a word
  22. fork — in a road
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — of a tree

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