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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. root — of a word
  2. track — a path
  3. present — the time now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — there
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rash — a series
  17. track — a song
  18. pound — a weight
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. root — the cause
  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