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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ground — crushed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ground — a position
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. root — of a word
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ground — the earth
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. staff — a stick

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