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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. root — of a word
  3. track — a path
  4. mug — a face
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — a song
  7. kick — in football
  8. kid — child
  9. ground — crushed
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ground — the earth
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mug — a cup
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  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