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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. squash — to crush
  16. face — to confront
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rash — hasty
  21. drill — army training
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a word
  24. squash — the sport

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