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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. root — of a word
  2. cell — a phone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — the cause
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — what's left
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — a break
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bat — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cell — in biology
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. roll — a list
  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