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: bore · degree · nail · stick · root · kid · pitch · chip

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — an amount
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bore — to tire
  20. degree — temperature
  21. kid — child
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  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