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: hand · root · ground · lean · track · present · content · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lean — thin
  4. content — the amount
  5. lean — to bend
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — happy
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — the cause
  13. track — a song
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hand — help
  16. present — there
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — a path
  19. present — the time now
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — a position
  24. root — of a word

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