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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. club — a group
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lie — to recline
  5. squash — to crush
  6. degree — temperature
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. club — for golf
  9. race — humankind
  10. root — of a plant
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — a contest
  18. club — for dancing
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. deal — to handle
  22. degree — an amount
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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