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 120 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 · fan · bore · last · kick · clip · mug · pass

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. root — of a word
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kick — in football
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — finally
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — final
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — to go on
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. root — the cause
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. root — of a plant

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