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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. land — to come down
  5. clip — a video
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — the cause
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. land — a country
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. clip — for paper
  20. land — ground
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. root — of a word
  24. racket — for tennis

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