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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spell — letters
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kick — in football
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. root — the cause
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — to eat
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. key — in music
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bass — low music
  21. row — a line
  22. bass — the fish
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — the instrument

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