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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. clip — a video
  5. root — the cause
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — help
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — in football
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. root — of a plant
  24. foot — the bottom

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