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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. root — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — a group
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — in biology
  15. club — for golf
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. cell — a phone
  19. kick — in football
  20. pop — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pop — soda
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. calf — of the 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