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: mine · root · racket · lash · march · bark · row · cabinet

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. root — of a plant
  5. march — the month
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. root — of a word
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — a line
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mine — for digging
  16. root — the cause
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. march — music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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