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 116 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: ball · hand · rule · bound · season · sharp · lash · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — of the year
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rule — government
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rule — a law
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — obliged
  17. root — the cause
  18. hand — help
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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