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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mark — a trace
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a word
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — the cause
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mark — a grade
  18. root — of a plant

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