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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. root — of a word
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ground — a position
  9. root — of a plant
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — the cause
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. swing — to play on
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — happy

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