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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — to breed
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — rain
  7. clip — to cut
  8. root — of a word
  9. clip — a video
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a partner
  16. shower — to wash
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — of a plant

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