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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. clip — to cut
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. clip — a video
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. clip — for paper
  17. root — of a word
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. date — the fruit
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. temple — a place of worship

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