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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. root — the cause
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kid — to tease
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — the sport
  11. kid — child
  12. rash — hasty
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — of a word

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