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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. root — of a word
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. land — ground
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. clip — a video
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. land — to come down
  21. root — the cause
  22. land — a country
  23. root — of a plant
  24. clip — for paper

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