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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. kid — to tease
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — for digging
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. can — to be able to
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kid — child
  17. root — of a word
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. race — humankind
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. vault — a safe
  24. race — a contest

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