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: bear · root · date · pound · season · ruler · bass · ground

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pound — a weight
  6. root — the cause
  7. bass — the fish
  8. season — in sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — of a plant
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ground — a position
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bear — to put up with

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