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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · rush · fan · ground · game · root · suit · wind

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — in cards
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ground — a position
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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