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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. charge — a price
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — an amount
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — in control
  11. root — of a word
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — the cause
  17. bear — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. degree — temperature

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