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: shower · lie · roll · root · deal · mark · chair · coach

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lie — to recline
  4. root — the cause
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — to wash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a list
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. root — of a word
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chair — a leader
  24. deal — a big deal

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