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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. file — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. root — the cause
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. file — a document
  10. row — to paddle
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a line of people
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. row — a line
  16. ground — a position
  17. root — of a word
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kick — in football
  21. ground — the earth
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. row — a quarrel

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