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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — of a word
  4. lean — thin
  5. track — a song
  6. pass — a permit
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hand — in cards
  10. clip — to cut
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. clip — a video
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. root — the cause
  24. hand — help

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