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 116 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: lean · kick · dip · root · face · ball · capital · ruler

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. root — of a plant
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a city
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — thin
  9. root — the cause
  10. face — to confront
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. face — part of the head
  21. dip — to sink
  22. root — of a word
  23. capital — money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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