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: kick · degree · date · wound · root · vault · suit · bear

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — in football
  5. root — of a word
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — the cause
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. vault — a safe
  17. suit — to fit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. degree — an amount

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