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: pitcher · pop · current · bound · saw · sharp · leaves · root

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. current — electric
  7. root — of a plant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — soda
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — of water
  24. sharp — clever

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