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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cell — in biology
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. net — after costs
  17. date — the fruit
  18. root — of a word
  19. band — a ring
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. root — the cause
  23. band — a music group
  24. date — on the calendar

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