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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. clip — to cut
  4. shower — rain
  5. last — finally
  6. hand — help
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. shower — to wash
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — for paper
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — in cards
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — the sport
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. last — to go on
  23. clip — a video
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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