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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ground — crushed
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a dance
  6. charge — in control
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. perch — the fish
  11. charge — electricity
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — for sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — of law
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — of a word
  19. foot — a measure
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. court — of a king
  22. squash — to crush
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ground — the earth

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