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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · pop · degree · calf · fan · root · present · clip

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. can — to be able to
  3. clip — a video
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. pop — music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — the cause
  17. clip — to cut
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — there
  21. clip — for paper
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. calf — a young animal

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