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 116 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: march · suit · bass · chip · shower · staff · content · root

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — the fish
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — the month
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. suit — to fit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chip — to eat
  18. root — the cause
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. march — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. shower — rain

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