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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. root — the cause
  3. capital — money
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — of a word
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. last — final
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. root — of a plant
  16. capital — a city
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. last — finally
  22. foot — a measure
  23. last — to go on
  24. arm — part of the body

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