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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — the month
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. root — the cause
  7. march — music
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. root — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. 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