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: swing · racket · tear · wind · kick · mark · object · root

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mark — a grade
  3. swing — to play on
  4. object — to protest
  5. swing — music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — the cause
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — an aim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. tear — to rip
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — in football
  22. object — a thing
  23. root — of a word
  24. tear — from crying

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