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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mate — to breed
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — happy
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chip — for betting
  22. kick — in football
  23. root — of a word
  24. bowl — to roll

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