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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. root — the cause
  3. clip — to cut
  4. race — a contest
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — a video
  10. rule — government
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — a signal
  13. toast — bread
  14. cue — a hint
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cue — for pool
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — music
  22. race — humankind
  23. clip — for paper
  24. race — the arms race

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