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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — the sport
  6. march — the month
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cue — a signal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. march — music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — to crush
  18. shower — rain
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mine — for digging
  22. root — of a plant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. root — of a word

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