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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bore — to tire
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — a grade
  6. root — the cause
  7. kick — in football
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. scale — in music
  10. root — of a word
  11. perch — the fish
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. band — a music group
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bore — to drill
  23. root — of a plant
  24. band — a rubber band

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