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: bay · tube · temple · fall · game · root · leaves · chest

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chest — a box
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. game — a match
  17. root — of a word
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fall — the season
  24. temple — side of the head

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