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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. present — the time now
  4. clip — to cut
  5. net — in sport
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. clip — a video
  8. present — there
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. net — for catching
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. present — a gift
  20. root — of a plant
  21. net — after costs
  22. root — of a word
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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