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 120 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: fan · mine · shower · court · rush · calf · root · bank

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. court — for sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — of a river
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. court — of law
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — rain
  23. court — of a king
  24. root — of a plant

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