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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — an amount
  5. root — of a plant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — the cause
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. degree — temperature
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. root — of a word
  16. bass — the fish
  17. drill — the tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. tube — a container
  24. ruler — for measuring

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