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: leaves · row · mark · capital · lie · mine · root · fine

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fine — all right
  3. row — to paddle
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — the cause
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. root — of a plant
  14. capital — money
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lie — to recline
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mark — a grade
  23. capital — a city
  24. mine — belonging to me

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