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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. present — a gift
  4. root — of a word
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. present — the time now
  11. root — of a plant
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — the cause
  17. present — there
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. scale — in music
  20. clip — a video
  21. perch — the fish
  22. clip — for paper
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — to recline

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