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: game · jam · staff · root · leaves · bear · present · cold

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cold — an illness
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — a gift
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cold — not warm
  20. present — the time now
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — a stick
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. present — there

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