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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stem — to come from
  3. spell — letters
  4. drill — a practice
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chest — a box
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. chip — for betting
  10. toast — bread
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — of a word
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. root — the cause
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. drill — army training
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. drill — the tool
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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