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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pop — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. root — of a word
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. club — for golf
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pop — soda
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cap — a lid
  19. clip — for paper
  20. club — a group
  21. clip — a video
  22. pop — to visit
  23. root — the cause
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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