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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — of a word
  3. rule — government
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. root — the cause
  8. charge — in control
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. race — humankind

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