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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — a measure
  3. roll — a cake
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. root — of a word
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a match
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. root — of a plant
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. game — wild animals
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. roll — a list
  24. hand — in cards

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