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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. kid — to tease
  4. land — ground
  5. root — of a plant
  6. land — a country
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. land — to come down
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. root — of a word
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kid — child
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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