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: root · chair · bulb · content · bear · march · rule · drill

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rule — government
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — a law
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — army training
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. root — the cause
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. content — happy
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bear — to put up with

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