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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — ground
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pitch — completely
  6. root — of a plant
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. root — the cause
  10. degree — from a university
  11. root — of a word
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mark — a grade

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