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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — of a plant
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — in music
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. roll — a list
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kick — in football
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — size or range

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