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: spring · root · content · march · wave · key · dip · bowl

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. root — of a word
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. key — for a lock
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. march — music
  23. spring — the season
  24. wave — 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