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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to confront
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cap — a lid
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hand — help
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hand — in cards
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — to point toward
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — in football
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — the cause
  22. cap — a hat
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kick — with a leg

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