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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. root — the cause
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — after costs
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cap — a lid
  7. net — for catching
  8. fall — the season
  9. board — to get on
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. squash — to crush
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a word
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tear — to rip
  23. net — in sport
  24. board — a committee

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