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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. face — to point toward
  5. root — of a plant
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. court — for sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. root — of a word
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. face — part of the head
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — a tin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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