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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. root — of a word
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bore — to drill
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — a tool
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. capital — money
  14. root — the cause
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. craft — boats
  24. bear — the animal

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