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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wind — moving air
  4. root — of a word
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. root — the cause
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rule — a law
  15. pit — in a race
  16. ground — a position
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rule — government
  22. wind — moving air
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bowl — a dish

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