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 · suit · dip · chest · club · land · lie · straw

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — a group
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. dip — to sink
  8. land — to come down
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chest — a box
  15. suit — to fit
  16. root — of a word
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chest — of your body
  22. land — ground
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. chest — of your body

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