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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hand — help
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — in cards
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spell — magic
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spell — letters
  24. racket — for tennis

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