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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. object — to protest
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — a short time
  8. clip — for paper
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stock — goods
  12. object — an aim
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spell — letters
  20. root — of a word
  21. spell — magic
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. clip — a video
  24. object — a thing

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