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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. race — the arms race
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cell — a phone
  10. root — of a word
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cell — in biology
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kick — in football

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