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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. root — of a word
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. root — the cause
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rush — hurry
  7. shower — rain
  8. key — in music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. root — of a plant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. squash — to crush
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ground — a position
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. shower — to wash
  24. squash — the vegetable

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