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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — a law
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pop — music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — of a word
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hand — help
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. root — the cause
  14. rule — government
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — soda
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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