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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ball — a dance
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — of a word
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. root — the cause
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. race — humankind
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a plant
  24. snap — to click

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