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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — of a plant
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — for digging
  10. object — to protest
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. root — of a word
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — a thing
  17. lean — thin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a round shape

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