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 · track · root · shower · mine · nail · court · fine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. root — of a word
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fine — all right
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. shower — rain
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. root — the cause

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