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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rest — a break
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rule — a law
  15. swing — music
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. clip — a video
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. swing — to play on
  22. root — of a word
  23. swing — in golf
  24. clip — for paper

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