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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — of a plant
  4. degree — from a university
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. scale — size or range
  11. root — of a word
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — in music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bound — certain
  18. dip — to sink
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — in football
  22. press — newspapers
  23. root — the cause
  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