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: kid · dip · capital · cue · game · root · rule · firm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cue — a hint
  4. root — of a word
  5. kid — to tease
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rule — government
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. firm — decided
  11. cue — a signal
  12. firm — a company
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. root — the cause
  15. cue — for pool
  16. capital — money
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. capital — a city
  19. game — a match
  20. rule — a law
  21. root — of a plant
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. kid — child

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