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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. kick — in football
  3. mate — to breed
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — a friend
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. degree — temperature
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chip — for betting
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. toast — bread
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chip — to eat

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