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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — a country
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hand — help
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — to come down
  22. face — part of the head
  23. root — of a word
  24. squash — to crush

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