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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — a song
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. track — a path
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. track — to keep track
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — the time now
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — for digging
  24. present — there

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