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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — there
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. root — of a plant
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — a measure
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kid — to tease
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — of a word
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kid — child
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. present — a gift

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