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: wake · spring · root · pop · rock · kick · hide · plane

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. spring — the season
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. root — the cause
  23. kick — in football
  24. spring — a coil

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