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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. drill — army training
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. hand — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a match
  24. root — of a plant

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