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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wound — an injury
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — an injury
  5. drill — a practice
  6. capital — a city
  7. root — of a word
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. track — a song
  19. root — the cause
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. root — of a plant
  24. craft — a handicraft

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