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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — of a word
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — a hat
  23. root — the cause
  24. mug — a face

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