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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. kid — child
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. game — a match
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. land — a country
  13. root — of a word
  14. can — to be able to
  15. land — to come down
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — happy
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. land — ground
  21. content — the amount
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. root — of a plant
  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