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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — of a word
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hand — help
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. root — the cause
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — happy
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bound — certain
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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