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

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — of a plant
  4. last — final
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. root — the cause
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to click
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — a box
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. last — finally
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — a sauce

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