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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. bat — the animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — to get on
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — for a lock
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. snap — to click
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. key — the most important part
  23. root — of a plant
  24. key — in music

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