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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. march — music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — a song
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. suit — clothes
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — the cause
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — in football
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — a line
  22. root — of a word
  23. snap — to click
  24. track — a path

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