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: date · calf · root · hand · bat · racket · foot · pound

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. foot — a measure
  10. root — of a word
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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