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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. band — a ring
  12. rule — a law
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rule — government
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. race — humankind
  18. band — a music group
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lash — an eyelash

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