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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. content — the amount
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. root — of a word
  9. content — happy
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — thin
  18. drill — army training
  19. kick — in football
  20. land — a country
  21. row — to paddle
  22. drill — a practice
  23. root — the cause
  24. content — videos and posts

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