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: press · root · arm · kick · bat · wave · temple · plane

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kick — in football
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. press — newspapers
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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