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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. root — of a word
  10. face — to point toward
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — the time now
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. face — to confront
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — the month
  24. present — there

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