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: shower · temple · dip · foot · ruler · bark · hide · root

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — rain
  8. root — of a word
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — to wash
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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