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: kick · race · degree · craft · root · cue · game · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. cue — a hint
  4. root — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — for pool
  11. root — the cause
  12. game — wild animals
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. degree — from a university
  16. root — of a word
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. race — humankind
  19. degree — an amount
  20. craft — boats
  21. kick — in football
  22. staff — a stick
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — a skill

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