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

Word bank: root · clip · key · degree · foot · kick · calf · bay

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. clip — a video
  4. degree — an amount
  5. kick — in football
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. clip — for paper
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. degree — temperature
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. key — the most important part
  19. root — of a word
  20. degree — from a university
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — the cause

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