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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. root — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. deal — to handle
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ground — a position
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mate — a partner
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. root — the cause
  24. straw — a straw man

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