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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. season — of the year
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — the fish
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wind — to turn a key

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