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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — the cause
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. root — of a word
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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