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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. land — ground
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. root — of a word
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. land — a country
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pound — a weight
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — to come down
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chest — a box
  23. bore — to tire
  24. root — the cause

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