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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — to eat
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. pit — in a race
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chip — for betting
  13. deal — to handle
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — the amount
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — of a plant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pit — a hole
  23. root — the cause
  24. rush — to hurry

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