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: bass · root · last · fall · bark · spring · season · cabinet

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — of the year
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — a coil
  7. last — finally
  8. root — the cause
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. last — final
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. bass — low music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. spring — of water
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. last — to go on

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