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

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. present — there
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — the cause
  14. pound — a weight
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. present — a gift
  17. root — of a plant
  18. roll — a list
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. branch — a division
  24. ground — the earth

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