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: tear · rush · pass · snap · root · spring · content · spell

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — the season
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to click
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spell — magic
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — the amount
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. tear — to rip
  16. content — happy
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. spring — of water
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — a permit

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