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: root · kid · wax · staff · fall · season · wind · cue

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kid — child
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — employees
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cue — a signal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fall — to drop
  16. root — of a word
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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