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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. root — of a word
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cell — in biology
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. root — of a plant
  15. kick — in football
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. root — the cause
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. snap — to click
  24. bark — to shout

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