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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — the cause
  3. prune — to trim
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. kick — in football
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — the amount
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. drill — army training
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. drill — the tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. row — to paddle

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