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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. root — the cause
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. season — in sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. season — of the year
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bat — for baseball

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