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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. squash — to crush
  9. root — the cause
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — a series

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