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: bulb · staff · root · rash · spring · wake · pitch · present

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. present — a gift
  3. rash — hasty
  4. staff — employees
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — of water
  7. present — the time now
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wake — a trail
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. spring — the season
  14. root — the cause
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitch — completely
  19. present — there
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. staff — a stick
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — employees

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