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: chest · present · content · stick · rock · pop · pit · root

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. root — the cause
  3. content — happy
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — of a word
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. chest — of your body
  16. content — the amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. pop — music
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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