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: row · rush · degree · lean · chip · root · saw · mark

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — the cause
  17. mark — a trace
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a line
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. row — to paddle

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