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 · staff · snap · root · spring · board · drill · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. root — of a plant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. snap — to click
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — the fruit
  8. root — the cause
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — a coil
  17. root — of a word
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. staff — employees
  21. drill — the tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spring — the season
  24. drill — army training

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