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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — electricity
  3. track — a path
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pound — a weight
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rest — a break
  12. kick — in football
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — a price
  17. pop — soda
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pop — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — in control
  24. pop — to visit

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