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: last · pop · season · root · pound · mate · cabinet · bank

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — of the year
  5. last — final
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pop — music
  8. root — of a word
  9. last — to go on
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. pop — soda
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — finally
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — to add flavour

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