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: root · toast · cue · bound · bear · tear · nail · pit

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cue — for pool
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bound — certain
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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