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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — in music
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. root — of a word
  7. face — to point toward
  8. root — the cause
  9. net — after costs
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — the most important part
  12. face — to confront
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. face — part of the head
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. net — for catching

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