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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — a line
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pass — a permit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. club — a group
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. root — the cause
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. racket — a loud noise

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