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: stem · leaves · clip · root · face · bay · squash · bowl

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. root — the cause
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. clip — for paper
  6. squash — the sport
  7. face — to point toward
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. root — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. root — of a word
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. clip — a video
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — a dish

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