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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. root — of a word
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. current — happening now
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hand — in cards
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — help
  18. cell — a phone
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cell — in a prison

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