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: race · root · kick · toast · court · scale · trunk · rush

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. race — humankind
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. scale — in music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. court — for sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. race — a contest
  22. court — of a king
  23. scale — size or range
  24. court — of law

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