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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. kick — in football
  23. cold — an illness
  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