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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spell — magic
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — rain
  8. root — the cause
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. tear — to rip
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tear — from crying
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — to wash
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pass — a permit
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. board — a committee
  24. root — of a plant

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